Food and freedom

To extract juice from soft, watery fruit — currants, raspberries, ripe grapes, etc. — place fruit, washed as necessary, in a clean, large white-enameled or aluminum kettle; heat gently, stirring and mashing as fruit softens. To prevent scorching, the addition of a very little water is sometimes advised; this should not be necessary, however, and the juice is better without. A little water is sometimes added to grapes, particularly when under-ripe. Currant juice is sometimes ex- tracted by crushing the fruit without previous heating. Fruit juice "will flow more readily," however, when heated, and the heating or cooking, up to a certain point, apparently de- velops the pectin.^ ^ Bulletin 853, United States Department of Agricult- ure. Also, "Principles of Jelly-Making," N. E. Gold- thwaite, Ph.D., Bulletin, University of Illinois, Urbana, 111. 2 Bulletin 853, United States Departmen tof Agricult- ure. Also "Principles of Jelly-making," N. E. Gold- thwaite, Ph.D., Bulletin, University of Illinois, Urbana, 111. 202 FOOD AND FREEDOM To extract juice from hard fruits— apples, quinces, etc. — place prepared fruit in a kettle, and barely cover with water — allowing, ap- proximately, from I to 2 cupfuls of water to each pound of fruit, according to kind and condition. Interesting jellies, both in color and flavor, may be made by variously combining different fruit juices, adding spices, or the leaves of different plants — such as mint, sweet gera- nium, cherry. 2. Straining and measuring the juice; testing for pectin, if desirable; measuring sugar; placing sugar in pan ready for heating. 3. Boiling juice previous to addition of sugar: This is done to clarify juice, evaporate unnec- essary water, and to reduce time of cooking after sugar is added. 4. Adding sugar to boiled fruit juice: Sugar should be hot when added, so as not to check the boiling and unnecessarily lengthen the cooking process. 5. Testing for "jelly"; This is the critical point in jelly-making, and is best understood and mastered through ex- perience; it may occur any moment after sugar is added, and should be anticipated, as over-cooking is disastrous. Syrup boiled beyond the ''jellying "-point becomes thin PRESERVING AND STORING FOOD 203 and ''syrupy." Syrup that refuses to "jell" cannot be improved by long cooking or the addition of more sugar; it can sometimes be improved by the addition of more good fruit juice. To test for jelly, examine syrup as it cools on the spoon used for stirring ; if syrup clings to the spoon and forms a sheet, remove jelly at once from fire.i A thermometer may also be used for testing, but since the temperature at which the "jellying "-point occurs varies in different fruits, or according to the condition of the fruit juice, the thermometer test is not nec- essarily infallible; good syrup usually "jells" approximately between 220° and 224° Fah- renheit.^ 6. Filling glasses: When jelly is ready, pour immediately into hot sterilized glasses. Let cool rapidly in a * clean, dry place, protecting jelly with a light cheese-cloth. 7. Sealing: When cold, cover jelly with hot, melted paraf- fin. Tin or paper covers may be used for extra protection. Labeling is attractive and prevents confusion. 1 See "Principles of Jelly- Making," N. E. Goldthwaite, Ph.D., Bulletin, University of Illinois, Urbana, 111. Also, Farmers' Bulletin 853, United States Department of Agriculture.